tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66071930392809485942024-02-28T15:42:15.686-08:00The Blue Fairy's BookshelfBook reviews and additional articles on an irregular schedule.Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.comBlogger601125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-86894476046808957042023-11-27T15:30:00.000-08:002023-11-27T15:30:00.141-08:00The Christmas Swap<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWJ84Hi2gCPIqe60GHVtrSCeq8S7NL1x6pBNvZ3TsYhJyEZEz57NQQIb-0xDydAodI8zxcnRSY8PGsXVs4wkTop2h04nUSh8tWsnPoRl8AFRr56L7lIUTIu9Ge0MK20ZLc11Z8fx5HXDuWuxoqWyWwh9hKNQAjCo2WO936n3QO25rkusAkyWEoq9qrCOD/s1000/THe%20Christmas%20swap%20book.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYWJ84Hi2gCPIqe60GHVtrSCeq8S7NL1x6pBNvZ3TsYhJyEZEz57NQQIb-0xDydAodI8zxcnRSY8PGsXVs4wkTop2h04nUSh8tWsnPoRl8AFRr56L7lIUTIu9Ge0MK20ZLc11Z8fx5HXDuWuxoqWyWwh9hKNQAjCo2WO936n3QO25rkusAkyWEoq9qrCOD/s320/THe%20Christmas%20swap%20book.jpg" width="213" /></a></i></div><i><div><i>Crossposted from MainliningChristmas.com. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div>The Christmas Swap</i><br />Talia Samuels, 2023<p></p><p><i>New Release! A copy of this book was provided by Netgalley for the purpose of review. </i></p><p>Margot and Ben are driving to Ben's family home for the holidays. So far, so normal. Except Margot and Ben met through work a week ago and aren't actually dating, but are planning to lie to Ben's family so his parents will stop making him feel bad for being single.</p><p>The story gets even wackier once Margot starts to actually fall for Ben's sister Ellie. Meanwhile, Ellie can tell something is weird about Margot and Ben's supposed relationship, but she jumps to a lot of downright farcical conclusions. </p><p>This new holiday romance was quite good, although not exceptional. The characters do a few very dumb things that cause some painful miscommunications and misunderstandings, and those made me cringe. I've described the premise, and you need to be ready to suspend your disbelief a lot early on to get on board with Margot and Ben's initial plan as well as Ellie's immediate jump to the worst possible interpretation of everything. Also, who owns a country hotel and closes it for Christmas? Do they not like money?</p><p>However, once Margot and Ellie get on the same page, their romance is very cute. Very "I don't think of myself as romantic but YOU make me see stars" vibes from both of them. They're lucky that the author arranged a convenient happy ending for Ben as well so they aren't left being complete jerks for the way they treat him at one point.</p><p>However, I thought the best part of the book wasn't the romance, it was that both main characters (and several supporting characters) have other complex problems that are addressed in (eventually) healthy ways. </p><p>Ellie, Ben, and their other sister Kate each struggle with their parents' expectations while they also each assume that the other siblings are doing just fine. This comes out in pieces throughout the book and I found their sibling relationships just as compelling as the romance. </p><p>Margot, meanwhile, is just getting out of a long-term relationship, and it wasn't a good one. I thought the narration did a great job of slowly revealing to the reader that Taylor had been an abusive girlfriend, and how long it took (even sped up for the sake of the story) Margot to start to accept how unhealthy their dynamic had been and take little steps to help herself.</p><p>That said, how well everyone takes most of the various revelations and emotional conversations is often unrealistic, but such is romance. It's not so bad to read about people reacting in an objectively emotionally healthy way some of the time. </p><p>There's a lot here to recommend this to fans of holiday romance and family dramas.</p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-50999068064692756122023-11-20T08:00:00.000-08:002023-11-20T08:00:00.137-08:00Nettle & Bone<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVqkg55doM0bHdmPZvSzV7t3DjBEYrYRPSmw4JnmOm35EjKxOEMkN5MTV0bOluoa4gbveSogS3DolNzcZlzSkaBQAnvE0vfZk-ya1QzD4hYJaAANRYt7CZvp6MkJHENC_P3L55K-AejceVizum0v7QWDsyZ3Qzyic0lBudIWxhrnXCdTxGW6OEm2j6P8l/s1000/Nettle%20&%20Bone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="647" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVqkg55doM0bHdmPZvSzV7t3DjBEYrYRPSmw4JnmOm35EjKxOEMkN5MTV0bOluoa4gbveSogS3DolNzcZlzSkaBQAnvE0vfZk-ya1QzD4hYJaAANRYt7CZvp6MkJHENC_P3L55K-AejceVizum0v7QWDsyZ3Qzyic0lBudIWxhrnXCdTxGW6OEm2j6P8l/s320/Nettle%20&%20Bone.jpg" width="207" /></a></i></div><i>Nettle & Bone</i><br />T. Kingfisher (aka Ursula Vernon), 2022<p></p><p><i>Hugo winner - 2023</i></p><p><b>Premise: </b>Marra was a mediocre princess and an average nun, why does she think she can rescue her sister from a prince? </p><p>Of course I grabbed this from the library as soon as it won the Hugo (this review may be delayed). I was a little unsure when I got it. I knew the author also writes children's books, and I had the impression her other work was more YA. This isn't YA. At all. It's not inappropriate for kids, but it's a fairy tale for grownups, for people still finding themselves in their 30s, for adults struggling in a society set against them. </p><p>In short, it's spectacular, absolutely worth picking up if you have any love for fairy-tale-inspired fantasy. </p><p>I loved all the characters, I loved Marra's narrative voice, and I loved the magic. I loved how dreamy everything felt while also seeming completely grounded and tangible. </p><p>The writing is gorgeous. Lovely, creative descriptions that tell us everything we need to know about the characters and the world are peppered with the kind of wise asides that help a book stay with you long after you read it. </p><p>There's a lot here about the difference between stories and reality, even as Marra assembles a classic group of unlikely heroes to lead on a quest. Marra and her friends are trying to do one possibly right thing in a situation in which there are no good choices, only less bad ones. It's a modern, feminist story about pushing back against the powers that say you don't matter, even when your only allies are old women, the exiled, and the dead.</p><p>I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I might just read it again soon.</p><p><b>5 Stars - An Awesome Book</b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-30511571072261542522023-11-13T08:00:00.000-08:002023-11-13T08:00:00.138-08:00This Is How You Lose the Time War<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1uMJihKAzkMCHW1O-6vf2AT7WdPvPq3w2FlV0-2WslbE6YvrQbNk4fuK-bLpfs3Rq7EVvk_eeCC0Au8n8COho3BGTfTDYD2w-sChnPs5VBnZGTbxaA5awh-t5gk2ZBJzcLgzJsFUlsowRnKzsbVmwXtKzem51E8RduiyXrHf9RBh1wyHVs5yq3CCcFJB/s1000/This%20Is%20How%20You%20Lose%20the%20Time%20War.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1uMJihKAzkMCHW1O-6vf2AT7WdPvPq3w2FlV0-2WslbE6YvrQbNk4fuK-bLpfs3Rq7EVvk_eeCC0Au8n8COho3BGTfTDYD2w-sChnPs5VBnZGTbxaA5awh-t5gk2ZBJzcLgzJsFUlsowRnKzsbVmwXtKzem51E8RduiyXrHf9RBh1wyHVs5yq3CCcFJB/s320/This%20Is%20How%20You%20Lose%20the%20Time%20War.jpg" width="213" /></a></i></div><i>This Is How You Lose the Time War<br /></i>Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, 2019<p></p><p><b>Premise: </b>Red and Blue are enemies - agents working for opposite sides of a war spanning throughout a complex timeline. Until one of them reaches out, first as a dare, but soon their correspondence changes into something more. </p><p>I understand why this was on so many people's favorites list and won so many awards, but it didn't completely work for me. It was an enjoyable read, but I found it both too long and too short. </p><p>It's part-epistolary: each chapter/section includes a mission that Red or Blue is on and how she finds a message from the other, and then the text of the message follows. The complicated, bizarre pasts and futures that Red and Blue contend with are really cool and interesting to read about, and they were probably my favorite part. I liked learning bits about the organizations they work for, although these are kept somewhat vague throughout. </p><p>The writing is poetic and emotional and lovely, but as the story picked up, the settings got less varied and interesting. That's what I mean by too long - the conceit of the piece (two enemy time agents fall in love) didn't need that long to wend toward the end. Or it possibly needed a lot longer - I also had trouble with the speed of the transition from sassy rival banter to undying passion in the letters, and so I didn't completely connect with the course of the love story or the characters' emotions. I believed what I was told about their feelings, but didn't connect. </p><p>(I also have very high standards for time-travel stories, and I have a lot of side-eye for the way the protagonists' stories intertwine by the end.)</p><p>Again, I enjoyed the story and I totally understand that people who did connect more with the characters would adore the story. Although I loved the first section, it was just an enjoyable read for me overall, not anything life-changing. </p><p><b>4 Stars - A Very Good Book</b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-69188417324827202832023-11-06T08:00:00.001-08:002023-11-06T08:00:00.136-08:00Earthsea: A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86fG_EOIxPNWXwL5DEY7kzzkBA4P8oOIailaGY43gwhYSdwPGyMqidyXz2gfTNMmQA8lyMh7zf1DOFxx39uKgF_crd6mrN3G4pLnSToD14huPLuIWdJDXmfdD4dGlHYT6sCcVGOrFcymg_bSj9uHDVdB3jTSt0j0zaTxQBEXguaFlB3Ooa9N3o7A6jrRb/s1000/A%20Wizard%20of%20Earthsea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="608" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86fG_EOIxPNWXwL5DEY7kzzkBA4P8oOIailaGY43gwhYSdwPGyMqidyXz2gfTNMmQA8lyMh7zf1DOFxx39uKgF_crd6mrN3G4pLnSToD14huPLuIWdJDXmfdD4dGlHYT6sCcVGOrFcymg_bSj9uHDVdB3jTSt0j0zaTxQBEXguaFlB3Ooa9N3o7A6jrRb/s320/A%20Wizard%20of%20Earthsea.jpg" width="195" /></a></i></div><i>A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore<br /></i>Ursula K. LeGuin, 1968, 1971, 1972<p></p><p><b>Premise: </b>The boy Ged becomes a wizard, becomes a man, then continues to shape the destiny of Earthsea. </p><p>I read A Wizard of Earthsea years and years ago but had no real memory of it. I picked up this trilogy cheap at some point, so this post is another in this year's "reading the unread books on the shelf" project. </p><p>I deeply respect LeGuin, and I knew these were beloved, but for some reason, I didn't expect the books to be awesome. But of course, they are. </p><p>From the start, this is a cool world. A complex area of islands and archipelagos bounded on all sides by the unknowable seas. Steeped in myth and mystery, but still grounded with the everyday details of farming, fishing, sailing. </p><p>All three books have cool stories. They are often marketed as YA; the first one in particular is accessible to young readers without pandering to them, and it's not limited to their concerns. </p><p>Ged is a major supporting character in both the second and third books rather than the viewpoint character, and it did take me a minute to adjust to that when I started the second book. The lead of The Tombs of Atuan leads a lonely life, forced to take on the role of fated priestess to a strange cult, and she is understandably twisted by her upbringing. The Farthest Shore brings us back to big-picture struggles and an epic journey undertaken by Ged and a young nobleman who came to ask the wizards to look into a strange disease of the spirit. They're all great stories. </p><p>Overall, these are fully epic fantasy that is consciously jettisoning anything eurocentric and any focus on battle or strength of arms. The characters in these books win their battles with strength of magic, mind, and morals. Needless to say, I'm keeping these books. </p><p><b>5 Stars - Awesome Books </b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-54720167481713828512023-10-30T08:00:00.001-07:002023-10-30T08:00:00.139-07:00 Seams Like Murder (Grace Designs Mysteries)<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqyULe24FqBo6ngI4ugupGm41HZQDb5TPwgQu7ZUuw_HvoI-zc47Qb89OfFsZUmVtgYMrRqZg01TdRK6MPbTPKzJs-NGlOneLVSKnKLWi0t2FakYphmTCYzN-DvdilTUS07EG8C1FJ-oKiM4TePOwosctvE68H2yfksoEh64mlSi0_pqHsfsKdD8RjeEu/s1000/Seams%20Like%20Murder%20(Grace%20Designs%20Mysteries).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="625" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqyULe24FqBo6ngI4ugupGm41HZQDb5TPwgQu7ZUuw_HvoI-zc47Qb89OfFsZUmVtgYMrRqZg01TdRK6MPbTPKzJs-NGlOneLVSKnKLWi0t2FakYphmTCYzN-DvdilTUS07EG8C1FJ-oKiM4TePOwosctvE68H2yfksoEh64mlSi0_pqHsfsKdD8RjeEu/s320/Seams%20Like%20Murder%20(Grace%20Designs%20Mysteries).jpg" width="200" /></a></i></div><i>Seams Like Murder </i>(Grace Designs Mysteries)<br />Tilly Wallace, 2023<p></p><p><b>Premise: </b>Grace is hoping that things are about to turn around for her struggling boutique, but when she's accused of a client's murder, everything gets more complicated. </p><p>I picked this up cheap on Kindle on a whim. Every so often I try a new historical cozy mystery in hopes of discovering a new obsession. They are usually underwhelming, and I often don't even bother to review them.</p><p>This book was good, but it didn't quite scratch that itch for me. It's set in 1920 in New Zealand, and the setting puts me in mind of Phryne Fisher, but Grace is no Phryne (probably for the best).</p><p>She has a minor supernatural ability which seemed less important than I felt like it should have. She has a complicated and slightly mysterious past having to do with the truth about her deceased husband-who-she-probably-wasn't-married-to that I didn't enjoy; it was teased constantly and then not actually spelled out in this book, unless I missed something. Rounding out the requisite cozy mystery recurring cast are her sketchy brother-in-law, an obvious future beau in the police force, an elderly father and a young son for her household, an elderly patron/mentor, a shop assistant, and a lesbian childhood friend. </p><p>That last is a bit weird, only because the fact that Grace is <i>so</i> extremely comfortable with her friend feels a tiny bit forced by the modern author rather than completely true to the time. It's certainly not impossible for that to have been true, but it's explained that most people don't approve of her, and there's not really any explanation or reason given for Grace to be so accepting. It would be fine if there had just been an aside that she wasn't sure when the friend first came out to her but then she got over it because of the childhood friends bit, but I don't remember that (I did read this book in pieces at a busy time, though, so I could have missed it.) It just pushes into the "my historical character is better than her time" trope that sets my teeth on edge.</p><p>The mystery is fine; the bits about her dress shop are interesting to me as a seamstress myself. It was overall a fun little read, but there were enough bits that rubbed me subtly the wrong way that I don't know whether I'll try out the next one. </p><p><b>2 Stars - An Okay Book</b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-79552797080852735152023-10-16T08:00:00.001-07:002023-10-16T08:00:00.136-07:00The Dragon and the George<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlqB2QoxrDwMaMiitijG9VAI_K31Pkc5rWIEb-9fkPG5R-9ETvf8eZiOQNV2V8m2C13OpA1sP_IM3W_1dlyJuSlum7R9-nInoqifx-OF-ooKBhrajmLmxPIYn9Rok2D6pzqLECzjcoS3Gplz2zX2KWxnJztGj4iXL8sVmpzTfyT7iZaAS9ux8yM41gHwl/s500/The%20Dragon%20and%20the%20George.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="290" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlqB2QoxrDwMaMiitijG9VAI_K31Pkc5rWIEb-9fkPG5R-9ETvf8eZiOQNV2V8m2C13OpA1sP_IM3W_1dlyJuSlum7R9-nInoqifx-OF-ooKBhrajmLmxPIYn9Rok2D6pzqLECzjcoS3Gplz2zX2KWxnJztGj4iXL8sVmpzTfyT7iZaAS9ux8yM41gHwl/s320/The%20Dragon%20and%20the%20George.jpg" width="186" /></a></i></div><i>The Dragon and the George<br /></i>Gordon R. Dickson, 1976<p></p><p><b>Premise:</b> A man jumps mentally into a medieval fantasy world in search of his fiancee.</p><p>I picked up a copy of this off a dollar rack ages ago because I knew it was the (partial) inspiration for the animated movie The Flight of Dragons, a staple of my childhood. This background knowledge meant that I finished the book despite an extremely lackluster opening section.</p><p>The beginning reminded me, negatively, of Connie Willis' Oxford time travelers books, in that the characters are unlikeable, insufferable academics. Jim and his fiancee Angie are poor, depressed adjuncts scrabbling for enough work and money to buy a home. Jim feels quite hard done by, by his boss, his landlord, and the world in general. He idly wishes that he lived in a time when you could use physical force against those who wronged you, thinking this would somehow be simpler. As a historian, he should really know better. He also has a weird obsession with Angie's ability to talk people into her point of view, which never comes up again in any meaningful way.</p><p>Angie has a job in some kind of wacky research lab studying astral projection, and when an experiment goes wrong, Jim impulsively follows her to what turns out to be a medieval-esque fantasy world. However, Angie is there physically, and Jim ends up mentally occupying the body of a dragon. She gets kidnapped, first by other dragons and then by the "forces of darkness", and it's soon up to Jim to collect a group of brave companions and go rescue her. </p><p>It has a few compelling scenes and some intriguing characters, but overall the book left me cold. The ending is especially stupid, undermining any message or point or meaning the book could have possibly intended, instead remaining an extremely boring, very male power fantasy.</p><p>By the end, I decided that whoever wrote the movie must have read the book and thought: "Wow, there are a few neat ideas and images here, but the main character and the ending are rubbish. Let's change those completely."</p><p><b>1 Star - Didn't Like It </b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-86455660826826850012023-09-18T08:00:00.001-07:002023-09-18T08:00:00.143-07:00Hounded (The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 1)<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrKMEO70RlJV-VpiKp9yw7-eLTZ8Izk7Q6LVp5FzsLXZ3iNF6MhPrDLOb17PdmZkQ4rXI9MqGF7Hb5RLZgVQoPxTvQkUHFBfppnOK--DvX95ufBSQk9ou_2-aS0w012F6jpfr8Erv4_FsX6QCHUHjs-gJfHta7apllI1Ak5SC2pH7lEqGgCM50Q_M20vi/s2073/Hounded%20(The%20Iron%20Druid%20Chronicles,%20Book%201).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2073" data-original-width="1258" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrKMEO70RlJV-VpiKp9yw7-eLTZ8Izk7Q6LVp5FzsLXZ3iNF6MhPrDLOb17PdmZkQ4rXI9MqGF7Hb5RLZgVQoPxTvQkUHFBfppnOK--DvX95ufBSQk9ou_2-aS0w012F6jpfr8Erv4_FsX6QCHUHjs-gJfHta7apllI1Ak5SC2pH7lEqGgCM50Q_M20vi/s320/Hounded%20(The%20Iron%20Druid%20Chronicles,%20Book%201).jpg" width="194" /></a></i></div><i>Hounded</i> (The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 1<br />Kevin Hearne, 2011<p></p><p><b>Premise: </b>A nigh-immortal druid gets into trouble with some gods and other supernaturals in modern-day Arizona.</p><p>This was another one of the books that had lingered on my shelves for ages. I think we may have won this copy in a raffle or part of some online contest? Something like that. I honestly don't recall. So I finally read it, and it's (drumroll)... fine. </p><p>Good, even. Perfectly adequate and enjoyable urban fantasy. Smooth, readable writing, funny characters and scary villains, twisty plot with a strong ending. Very workmanlike and well-done.</p><p>Had I read it when it came out in 2011, I might have read more in the series. And that's not a slight on the book, that's a look at how different my life is now, with a full-time job and a young child. If book one is enjoyable, but not outstanding, there had better be some compelling reason to pick up another. If I were particularly drawn to the protagonist, or the world, that might do it. But I'm not. </p><p>The protagonist, Atticus O'Sullivan, is enjoyable to read, but not especially memorable. He's grounded and sassy and very powerful when the plot requires it - i.e., an urban fantasy protagonist. The world is fun, more Irish myth than a lot of urban fantasy, but the use of it wasn't that compelling. My overall impression was a bit like if American Gods had a more interesting plot and less interesting mythology. </p><p>It was enjoyable, but not compelling. I wouldn't reread it, so off it goes to find another person who will. </p><p><b>3 Stars - A Good Book</b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-62385454860346770972023-09-04T08:00:00.001-07:002023-09-04T08:00:00.148-07:00She Who Became the Sun<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNkpbUXIG-X-SUXEMx0wKdzOBPa3Rd3X2BAQY8EI9U5SEaZKCh7mUEdXTIwf3KxvezBaR4S8xoQgygBrjugx-aWkNH5VBP5cYVnx3umCIuu-_UtME31E8Fb9j0FThb26umP4bMIdhNvHIlStCv8M5kAEmiI89e_zyWPGrjUDrxvIe7kvVK7kh_dM0CLvC/s2550/She%20Who%20Became%20the%20Sun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNkpbUXIG-X-SUXEMx0wKdzOBPa3Rd3X2BAQY8EI9U5SEaZKCh7mUEdXTIwf3KxvezBaR4S8xoQgygBrjugx-aWkNH5VBP5cYVnx3umCIuu-_UtME31E8Fb9j0FThb26umP4bMIdhNvHIlStCv8M5kAEmiI89e_zyWPGrjUDrxvIe7kvVK7kh_dM0CLvC/s320/She%20Who%20Became%20the%20Sun.jpg" width="207" /></a></i></div><i>She Who Became the Sun<br /></i>Shelley Parker-Chan, 2021<p></p><p><b>Premise: </b>As a child, Zhu was told her fate was nothing, while her brother's fate was greatness. When circumstances give her the chance to change that, she steps onto a path that leads to the future.</p><p>I read this book to take a break from reading older books that had been on my bookshelf forever; I wanted to sort of recalibrate my brain with something current. And this was a great choice. </p><p>This is based loosely on the life of the Hongwu Emperor in the 14th century. We assume that he was not, in historical fact, AFAB, but Zhu is, and she struggles throughout the book with the tension of this secret. Zhu assumes that if anyone discovers that she "stole" her brother's identity, that she will not achieve the greatness she burns for. </p><p>And she does burn. (Side note: I waffled briefly between using "she" or "they" for Zhu, as she feels somewhat beyond gender by the end, but the narration uses "she" so I stuck with that.)</p><p>Zhu becomes a monk, and then a warrior, and then a leader. But this book makes no pretenses (and Zhu herself looks mostly clear-eyed on the topic) about the fact that achieving power will require death and betrayal. We're with her, we feel her desperate need to first survive, and then to rise. But the further she goes, the less moral her victories will be. </p><p>On a macro level, this is also the story of a war between the Mongol empire and the rebels looking to establish a new dynasty. On the Mongol side, we follow the eunuch general Ouyang, who is a complex and tragic character. He cares deeply for the Mongolian prince Esen, but he has risen to his current level of power only in the service of his lifelong drive for revenge, and for that revenge, he is willing to sacrifice anything. </p><p>There is also a supernatural element to the story, as the power to rule manifests as a literal light and certain characters can see actual ghosts. Zhu can feel a resonance between herself and Ouyang, their fates and destinies intertwined. Both of them are driving toward and drawn by their fates and both do terrible things.</p><p>This was a gorgeous, complex story with a gripping plot and intense characters. It isn't a feel-good story, but it was deeply satisfying all the same.</p><p><b>4 Stars - A Very Good Book </b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-4584794528964448392023-08-28T08:00:00.004-07:002023-08-28T08:00:00.143-07:00Blindness<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1M5T4UvVfg1h3JNB8ATsSWFzF1pBs7Wxj-XBTHCR1ID5OZQtubkcmeuT-u2toDe3GUOM-sDChZlYeXZIMQHrBc90O-pg6kIA6s4648dQGTHbng6cF9sYpB-v8wzhD7gRaubWgJGY7Uo-G3Tz5_rSyWUXavZKf44Deff0eaNlPdjF9SwNdg82tYVIhpYw/s500/BlindnessBad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1M5T4UvVfg1h3JNB8ATsSWFzF1pBs7Wxj-XBTHCR1ID5OZQtubkcmeuT-u2toDe3GUOM-sDChZlYeXZIMQHrBc90O-pg6kIA6s4648dQGTHbng6cF9sYpB-v8wzhD7gRaubWgJGY7Uo-G3Tz5_rSyWUXavZKf44Deff0eaNlPdjF9SwNdg82tYVIhpYw/s320/BlindnessBad.jpg" width="199" /></a></i></div><i>Blindness</i><br />José Saramago, 1995<p></p><p><b>Premise: </b>What happens to a small group of people during an unexplained epidemic of blindness. Content warnings, y'all. LOTS of them. </p><p>This is part of the "read the books already on the shelf" project, although I didn't pick this book. It was a gift, where "gift" means that if I remember right, an out-of-town visitor finished the book while visiting and didn't feel like bringing it home with them. (Not naming names here, just saying that I didn't choose this book.)</p><p>I can see why it's an award-winning book, the style is interesting at first, and it feels like it's trying to say something about humanity. </p><p>Unfortunately, what it seems to be saying is that people generally suck, but women can somehow both bear horrific treatment and efficiently hold society together, but without actually getting any respect or sympathy. </p><p>It started out promising, but by the end, the style was oppressive and annoying to read, the fact that none of the characters had names was now tiresome, and if I had to read the narration comment one more time about how surprising you-the-reader might find it that the young escort actually had sensible thoughts in her head given her occupation I was going to scream. </p><p>The characters don't just lack names, they lack any specificity or actual character beyond the most superficial details. There's no reason to care about them in specific or in general. The plot is tedious, often lingering on scenes of physical or moral degradation to a ludicrous extent. The lengthy, graphic gang rape scene is something I could have happily gone without ever reading. </p><p>I get that it's a metaphor, the blindness makes people less-than-human. But then they all get their sight back with no explanation or follow-up. Okay, what are we supposed to take from that? Some people are horrible. Some aren't. Some can't handle crisis. Some can. And? (Not to mention that I don't blame communities of visually impaired people for having some real issues with this book's whole premise.)</p><p>The more I think about it, the more it annoys me. So yeah, this one doesn't get to stay in the house. </p><p><b>1 Star - Didn't Like It.</b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-39108211481173852142023-08-14T08:00:00.001-07:002023-08-14T08:00:00.141-07:00Nine Princes in Amber (The Chronicles of Amber, Book 1)<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKxWG8r3-OXw6tU9jrY-4lTlUhsTiCo-s6km8y8E4NHH-Mnwraajx4mymi2D5omDNmaY6xVo7klV9oSHEYK7oITMUFcErWEuahLQuzoiXuO9Idi0_6OaJckm1yBciTjF3uwcPaZ5PS4_LfV_4aeLc7A6YZ_8PHz09R28M_77AB-lxpKZ0AlS4hO6Fw4M5/s500/Nine%20Princes%20in%20Amber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKxWG8r3-OXw6tU9jrY-4lTlUhsTiCo-s6km8y8E4NHH-Mnwraajx4mymi2D5omDNmaY6xVo7klV9oSHEYK7oITMUFcErWEuahLQuzoiXuO9Idi0_6OaJckm1yBciTjF3uwcPaZ5PS4_LfV_4aeLc7A6YZ_8PHz09R28M_77AB-lxpKZ0AlS4hO6Fw4M5/s320/Nine%20Princes%20in%20Amber.jpg" width="206" /></a></i></div><i>Nine Princes in Amber (The Chronicles of Amber, Book 1)<br /></i>Roger Zelazny, 1970<p></p><p><b>Premise:</b> Our main character awakens with no knowledge of who he is or where he's from, but soon he's on his way to challenge his brothers for control of the one true city of Amber.</p><p>The Amber books have been on my radar for an incredibly long time, and I've had a giant omnibus on my shelf for quite a few years without cracking it open. I finally read the first one, and... I'm not sure how I feel. This book was intriguing, but I have a lot on my to-read list. </p><p>I really liked the beginning (despite its cliches) because it introduced us to the world in a surreal way without a ton of exposition. I was fascinated by Corwin's blend of insecurity and surety as he tried to navigate by his instincts in a dangerous situation. </p><p>But then he does some magic to get his (incredibly long) memory back, and all his powers, and... it was suddenly much less interesting to me. </p><p>The world is potentially very cool. The almost-immortal royalty of Amber seem to have the ability to shape the rest of the multiverse to their whims, and some of the mechanisms for that are nicely trippy. It does sort of make all the main characters gods on page one, though.</p><p>I think this might be the kind of series that either really pays off at the end or doesn't. Because by the end of this installment, after a dragging series of battles in the middle which was mostly the god-brothers throwing thousands upon thousands of sentient creatures from "shadow realms" (just like, but not at this time including, Earth) to their violent deaths, I wasn't sure if I cared one bit about who rules in Amber. </p><p>It was short, and, as I said, intriguing, but time will tell whether I dip back in to Amber to find out more. </p><p><b>3 Stars - A Good Book</b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-41270557908474095482023-07-03T08:00:00.004-07:002023-07-03T08:00:00.142-07:00Divided Allegiance and Oath of Gold (The Deed of Paksennarion 2 and 3)<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKW9QiivGmw3yERjL4zRetyLpl036ToTW8IMAD6D9aHpqr_6PWykQV5NihcsN8Oe1QASSc5PMD7no6yIWnpW75Vll7_IBa6Osw1YXYn2t0-hkIzQrtXrYS1D3hC3-hX-Z8SLUcy0xLi_ef8dZvy29goCvhxytZS6RaMzjxTg6sCN3RVRKFLeiCITruWERG/s400/Deed%20of%20Paks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKW9QiivGmw3yERjL4zRetyLpl036ToTW8IMAD6D9aHpqr_6PWykQV5NihcsN8Oe1QASSc5PMD7no6yIWnpW75Vll7_IBa6Osw1YXYn2t0-hkIzQrtXrYS1D3hC3-hX-Z8SLUcy0xLi_ef8dZvy29goCvhxytZS6RaMzjxTg6sCN3RVRKFLeiCITruWERG/s320/Deed%20of%20Paks.jpg" width="204" /></a></i></div><i>Divided Allegiance</i> and <i>Oath of Gold</i> (The Deed of Paksennarion 2 and 3)<br />Elizabeth Moon, 1988, 1989<p></p><p><b>Premise:</b> Sequels to <i><a href="https://bluefairysbookshelf.blogspot.com/2010/09/sheepfarmers-daughter.html" target="_blank">Sheepfarmer's Daughter</a></i>. The continuing adventures of mercenary Paks as she decides what kind of warrior she wants to be. Content warnings for torture and more, explained below.</p><p>I had such mixed feelings about these books. I liked them, sort of? Despite the clunky way the story seemed to wander and skip important bits. Except then you have the climax and point of the third book, which.... nope. </p><p>I liked book two, on the whole. The mercenary company Paks is part of begins to be involved with some less-than-savory work, so she breaks off on her own. She has two separate adventures, which both point gently toward her being a destined hero, but from her perspective she's just trying to do right by her family and the communities she passes through. Finally, she ends up enrolling in paladin training and the second half of the book turns into "adventures at paladin school" for a while. And that's a lot of fun! Then near the end, she joins a quest and terrible things happen to her and she's struggling with severe trauma by the end of book two. </p><p>The plot is a bit piecemeal, but overall interesting and ends on a low note for the character to build back from. </p><p>Then in book three that building back happens way too much offscreen for my taste. Some of that part was compelling, but then there was a chapter break and suddenly time has passed and she thinks she's a paladin and immediately faces a weird initiation and is blessed by the gods. Wait, what? I mean, yes, you were implying that she had a destiny this whole time, but it still felt like it went from 0 to 200 with little warning. </p><p>The book tells us that the doubts and difficulties she faced along the way make her a better, more compassionate paladin, but I'm not sure I bought that by the actions that were actually written about. </p><p>Now all paladined up with new powers, Paks starts on a quest, the various phases of which take up the rest of the book. The point of the quest is painfully cliche and upholds stereotypically patriarchal power, and the book even notes at the end that this is what she's remembered for. Yikes. Also near the end is an extended scene of graphic torture and rape -- which is very much played as though she's a selfless, pure, Christian martyr instead of a fantasy paladin (except that she lives through it explicitly because of her gods' interference), so that just made me uncomfortable and unhappy for the rest of the book. </p><p>However, it was definitely exciting enough to keep me reading up until then (and I read the rest even though the final battle was kind of boring and too long).</p><p>I have an omnibus of this on my bookshelf, so this was read as part of my current mission to decide which books to keep. And I'm definitely of two minds about this one. I liked a lot about it, but I not only found the end unsatisfying, but I felt it kind of undermined the good that came before. </p><p><b>Divided Allegiance - 3 Stars</b></p><p><b>Oath of Gold - 2 Stars</b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-62042074944934896852023-06-12T08:00:00.001-07:002023-06-12T08:00:00.134-07:00Sisters of the Vast Black<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyr4rSnkqu-XkHt7pLMc7HXscqLufpYyQV7B2jNxzOcKtOkYnbgw4VmW-YF7-rmyuHbxYngbypq_WZzm8zN1HLGnrKRajWJBc-RI43aGgJ2NtfOE0Pd5rrQuisiIU15Kd-wrUE3kSNUMxvbEQwdWa0H9f-aZyoPddbDjwy6NplnPTpbUUktFtQ8R6dA/s1760/Sisters%20of%20the%20Vast%20Black.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1760" data-original-width="1100" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyr4rSnkqu-XkHt7pLMc7HXscqLufpYyQV7B2jNxzOcKtOkYnbgw4VmW-YF7-rmyuHbxYngbypq_WZzm8zN1HLGnrKRajWJBc-RI43aGgJ2NtfOE0Pd5rrQuisiIU15Kd-wrUE3kSNUMxvbEQwdWa0H9f-aZyoPddbDjwy6NplnPTpbUUktFtQ8R6dA/s320/Sisters%20of%20the%20Vast%20Black.jpg" width="200" /></a></i></div><i>Sisters of the Vast Black<br /></i>Lina Rather, 2019<p></p><p><b>Premise: </b>A novella about nuns in space. It's really good.</p><p>I can't remember how this got onto my to-read list, but I'm glad it did. Somewhat in the tradition of many of the early Hugo winners, this novella explores the role of religion in an imagined space-faring future. And, of course, it also mirrors the problems of today.</p><p>The women who live on the spaceship Our Lady of Impossible Constellations are Roman Catholic nuns, not members of some imaginary future religion. And like nuns throughout history, they don't always agree with the Catholic Church's stance, and don't always obey orders. </p><p>Just a few examples with a few minute's Google:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The Nuns Who Defied Vatican’s Order to Be Silent: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-aug-05-mn-30832-story.html</li><li>Vatican crackdown on U.S. nuns a long time brewing: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-vatican-nuns/vatican-crackdown-on-u-s-nuns-a-long-time-brewing-idUSBRE83J1B720120420</li><li>Thousands of Catholic nuns unite to ‘wholeheartedly’ declare trans people are beloved by God: https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/04/05/catholic-nuns-trans-letter/</li></ul><p></p><p>In the normal course of their work, this small group of women travels to far-flung communities to perform weddings, baptisms, and blessings as well as plenty of general charity work such as equipment repair and healthcare assistance.</p><p>This story follows them through a short tumultuous period to a crisis point. Each woman's reasons for joining the order are called into question and they each must choose what is truly the right thing to do. The horror of the various reveals in the third act is not diminished, but rather emphasized by the heavy foreshadowing throughout. </p><p>Despite everything, I found this to be a fundamentally optimistic book about people doing the best they could for each other out on the final frontier.</p><p><b>4 Stars - A Very Good Book </b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-83450339111497164502023-05-22T08:00:00.001-07:002023-05-22T08:00:00.162-07:00Sisters of the Raven<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Am-YLF92UnwNnQTuE6op3sa0QLTbtS558-jBqM-uGC2PgtRlqLsDCpSihoZOCHemUSXzbEsj9tjxgOueyABdiuxacFVPaiprqKB7I6TTeKK6gWmk7SNdaovEJYa7kX9lFALSBNq1hHUcOHtFdrKo-_K1wHO6t_S4WsP_lcaYxjmtCQ_Z8qfgKLeONA/s1000/Sisters%20of%20the%20Raven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="625" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Am-YLF92UnwNnQTuE6op3sa0QLTbtS558-jBqM-uGC2PgtRlqLsDCpSihoZOCHemUSXzbEsj9tjxgOueyABdiuxacFVPaiprqKB7I6TTeKK6gWmk7SNdaovEJYa7kX9lFALSBNq1hHUcOHtFdrKo-_K1wHO6t_S4WsP_lcaYxjmtCQ_Z8qfgKLeONA/s320/Sisters%20of%20the%20Raven.jpg" width="200" /></a></i></div><i>Sisters of the Raven<br /></i>Barbara Hambly, 2002<p></p><p><b>Premise:</b> The rains have never been this late before. Men's magic is inexplicably fading, but will the women discovering their own powers be allowed to take their place?</p><p><i>(FYI: This is part of my current project to read all the books I bought cheap years ago and judge them mercilessly so as to free up bookshelf space.)</i></p><p>This book is sort of weird to read now. It's not a bad fantasy yarn with a somewhat Arabian-Nights flavor - djinns and deserts and harems and a very sexist society. The women don't even have real names; it's a whole thing. Take from that what you will. The plot follows a group of women who are some of the first to discover that they have magic, just as the men who have always had magic are losing theirs.</p><p>It's got a tense and scary plot, often brutally violent, with some surreal and weird turns. </p><p>Hambly's penchant for moderate, realistic characters means that this doesn't turn into a rousing girl-power fable, just various women with different goals trying to survive in a very dangerous time. There's some hope by the end, but they are only able to take tiny steps forward or risk catastrophe. Some limited unreliable magic is no match for a large number of hostile men holding all political, economic, and military power. </p><p>It's a cool idea and a fine story with interesting magic systems in an intriguing world, but none of those aspects are interesting, entertaining, or compelling enough for me to either keep the book for re-reading or get the next one. </p><p><b>3 Stars - A Good Book</b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-86580349164359846722023-05-08T08:00:00.001-07:002023-05-08T08:00:00.152-07:00Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_Pkp3pQYMcff1g34eR5iGRk3vaS0UGtIRUFgxMtXSkqOBswBDqKxB3F1j6_CZLgOa9zv99HktF4ctfL7L9TAUws68CFIe_J0bo1Xfx5f9JfVNUNvVTGWHmRJats6pn3klOVBYizJpfQpyaGdwH5-TYjlgU25EsW4FTh_Va_0rEUwKfxWAnvuuGYmHQ/s1000/Thirst%202600%20Miles%20to%20Home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="647" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_Pkp3pQYMcff1g34eR5iGRk3vaS0UGtIRUFgxMtXSkqOBswBDqKxB3F1j6_CZLgOa9zv99HktF4ctfL7L9TAUws68CFIe_J0bo1Xfx5f9JfVNUNvVTGWHmRJats6pn3klOVBYizJpfQpyaGdwH5-TYjlgU25EsW4FTh_Va_0rEUwKfxWAnvuuGYmHQ/s320/Thirst%202600%20Miles%20to%20Home.jpg" width="207" /></a></i></div><i>Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home<br /></i>Heather "Anish" Anderson, 2019<p></p><p><b>Premise: </b>A memoir about losing and finding yourself on the trail.</p><p>I think parts of this book will be with me for a while. A popular suggestion on lists of "books like Wild" or "memoirs about hiking" or "memoirs from outdoorswomen" (all lists that pique my interest), <i>Thirst</i> follows Heather Anderson (trail name Anish) on her attempt to set a record for hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in the fastest known time. </p><p>The story of that hike is beautifully interwoven with scenes from her life that lead up to it and reflections on her experience. At times Anish seems impossibly strong, at others foolish. Average people don't feel driven to run ultramarathons and walk for days on end. Her account feels honest, searching, vital. </p><p>She mentions a few times that she was chronicling her journey online in real time at the time, and sometimes I wished for a few more of those in-the-moment snippets. The narrative, however, is as unrelenting as her pace.</p><p>Some parts of the book come up and fade with little explanation or elaboration because it's not fiction. So we never find out, for example, whether the man who spooked her on the trail at one point was actually up to no good because she doesn't know. The important part was her experience of the moment. </p><p>Similarly, the very ending is... real. It's somewhat unsatisfying in the way that real life often is. We may be transformed in a moment, but then we have to pay bills and relate to other people, and holding onto those transcendental moments can be a terrible challenge.</p><p>I can't say that it's immediately become one of my absolute favorites, although this feels like a book that may have a delayed impact. A wonderful read overall. </p><p><b>4 Stars - A Very Good Book</b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-21765270677065674452023-04-24T08:00:00.001-07:002023-04-24T08:00:00.219-07:00A Restless Truth (The Last Binding, Book 2)<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYMfFGRTx2lAXmFuYS1J4naA3S8taz9E1INDseEV8KwDdhhCGwymRmqZRWw1rC0H3Ayxt9dW1RbVWdW6Pc8Kt4XA_FUM9BTUJ3uiWbb6CVWebxIQnAuyQuC1s8V2zVGlzf_aFHGJv-caIlLFVyRIiOR1sRYAZGfOsazYFpWx6oqBtMEahGdDucDOtJg/s500/A%20Restless%20Truth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="325" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYMfFGRTx2lAXmFuYS1J4naA3S8taz9E1INDseEV8KwDdhhCGwymRmqZRWw1rC0H3Ayxt9dW1RbVWdW6Pc8Kt4XA_FUM9BTUJ3uiWbb6CVWebxIQnAuyQuC1s8V2zVGlzf_aFHGJv-caIlLFVyRIiOR1sRYAZGfOsazYFpWx6oqBtMEahGdDucDOtJg/s320/A%20Restless%20Truth.jpg" width="208" /></a></i></div><i>A Restless Truth (The Last Binding, Book 2)<br /></i>Freya Marske, 2022<p></p><p>Premise: Sequel to A Marvellous Light. Maud is sailing back home to Britain, escorting an elderly relation and her parrot across the ocean. Only she's not really a relation, and she's hoping Mrs. Navenby will help her brother and the small group allied with him to foil those who would find the pieces of the Last Contract and use them to steal power from all of Britain's magicians. Unfortunately, murderers and thieves are also on board the ship, and Maud's only hope of help might be a beautiful stranger.</p><p>First off, I adored the first book in this series. This one I liked quite a bit, but didn't quite love.</p><p>Were there more sex scenes in this one? It felt like it. They weren't bad scenes, but I like my adventure romances to be generally weighted slightly more toward the adventure.</p><p>That's not to say I didn't enjoy Maud and Violet's whirlwind relationship. They are both complex characters with understandable desires and hang-ups that spark against each other in just the right way that both their troubles and their joys are relatable. They are both constantly reacting against people who are not present who hurt them in the past, and they need to work through that to see their current situation for what it is and be able to love freely.</p><p>I think the action was a bit more farcical in this book. Suitable for a murder investigation on board a ship; all the characters sneaking in and out of various places, following suspicions and leads and gossip, etc. </p><p>Again, I enjoyed reading this book, but I loved the first one so much that anything less than spectacular was bound to feel like a let down. I'm still looking forward to reading book 3 and seeing whether the author can stick the landing. </p><p>4 Stars - A Very Good Book</p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-60690430295918991112023-03-13T08:00:00.001-07:002023-03-13T08:00:00.216-07:00City of Bones<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbgagvu6bfGvvzTyqeM7ETrc8ZBCCm_pQ7imvlfYHyLXWQjCovCIvqAKTsSXese1GBH-I798oKB3PmuLVbSuVrQW9IH9Iu4pQEcsdhPAfu0EGgGh-aNMpqCVnaZtUaPDCeKy3STfLOG43QgahftWeVyMHdg0gUWCgO0PHsY86Y9pn_Kd0CYDqb__G6w/s1000/City%20of%20Bones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="594" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbgagvu6bfGvvzTyqeM7ETrc8ZBCCm_pQ7imvlfYHyLXWQjCovCIvqAKTsSXese1GBH-I798oKB3PmuLVbSuVrQW9IH9Iu4pQEcsdhPAfu0EGgGh-aNMpqCVnaZtUaPDCeKy3STfLOG43QgahftWeVyMHdg0gUWCgO0PHsY86Y9pn_Kd0CYDqb__G6w/s320/City%20of%20Bones.jpg" width="190" /></a></i></div><i>City of Bones</i><br />Martha Wells, 1995<p></p><p><b>Premise:</b> Khat is just trying to make a living in a city where he is unwelcome when powerful people decide they need his skills judging and discovering ancient relics. Unlike the pricey fragments Khat and his partner usually deal in, could these relics actually hold real power?</p><p>This is the first book this year in a project called: "Read the unread books that are actually on my physical bookshelf because they were cheap at some point." I haven't bought physical books regularly in years, but I bought a bunch when we first moved to this coast. I recently decided I want to invest in hard copies of things I really love... and I also want to clean any random detritus off the shelves to make room. So, I need to read the books I've never read.</p><p>I actually started this last year, but I got almost 1/3 of the way through The Prince of Nothing and decided I hated it, so that book went straight in the donate/recycle box.</p><p>This book will likely end up there too, although it's not bad. It's just not great. </p><p>The world is interesting enough, a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland with isolated cities, and at least the one the book takes place in has an extremely unequal society with a few elites and a lot of people being pushed into starvation at the edges. Khat is actually not human, he's part of a tribe who descend from some mysterious experiments that were intended to help people survive the apocalypse, and in fact the krismen are much more able to survive the desert than the city people. </p><p>The story is fine, there are magic artifacts that are missing and have an unknown purpose. Some of the Warders (police force with some psychic/magic powers) believe that they can use the artifacts to augment their powers. Meanwhile, another faction of Warders whose extreme use of their powers has caused them to be mentally unstable is trying to stop the first. </p><p>Khat just wants to get out of the whole situation in one piece. He befriends Elen, a young Warder who initially hires him in disguise. I liked that, even at the end, when a lesser book would have leaned into their light flirtation for a romantic resolution, she can't really see past her own privilege to understand how her society really works for someone like Khat, and he can't stay to explain it to her, instead moving on to a hopefully more peaceful live elsewhere. </p><p>This is after plenty of death-defying action, physical and magical struggles, and the potential destruction of the world, of course. </p><p>Content warning for one scene in which Khat is forced to have sex with another character. It's mostly covered by a brief aside, and he essentially sees it as the only way out of a bad situation, but still. Heads up for that.</p><p>It was a fine, fun read overall, but not something I liked enough that I'd want to revisit it. So I'll be passing on my copy at some point.</p><p><b>3 Stars - A Good Book</b></p><p>(Side Note: I found out after I read it that this book is being re-released later this year in a new edition revised by the author. Huh.)</p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-39411640807280760872023-02-27T08:00:00.001-08:002023-02-27T08:00:00.179-08:00Tooth and Claw<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwYQl-OyoJsSQU-ogU_oXZMhEklqwvBbXo42XbtdWjtONVWUgdviOZS90m3VaF_9vZQCx0AB4lGV4k6g2omOa7rzVfFdo4b7I9p9gSjruU9kG2nEj9q5cShf39-5YryHjxMjhNH6JDNoLF7Raac52b0GHPn2bmIIA3upRIhB_461jolSAjk89vren-w/s1000/Tooth%20and%20Claw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="621" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwYQl-OyoJsSQU-ogU_oXZMhEklqwvBbXo42XbtdWjtONVWUgdviOZS90m3VaF_9vZQCx0AB4lGV4k6g2omOa7rzVfFdo4b7I9p9gSjruU9kG2nEj9q5cShf39-5YryHjxMjhNH6JDNoLF7Raac52b0GHPn2bmIIA3upRIhB_461jolSAjk89vren-w/s320/Tooth%20and%20Claw.jpg" width="199" /></a></i></div><i>Tooth and Claw<br /></i>Jo Walton, 2003<p></p><p>Premise: A dramedy of manners. But make it dragons.</p><p>For both good and ill, this book is precisely what it says on the tin. It's an old-fashioned story of inheritance, marriage arrangements, minor gentry and the fates of their children, and a society where things are changing. Only all the people are dragons. </p><p>The fact that they are dragons both does and doesn't affect the plot. There might be other reasons that a person wouldn't feel that they could challenge their rich brother-in-law, it doesn't have to be that he might be big enough to eat you if provoked. But in this world it is. </p><p>The dark sides of the characters' draconic nature are there to highlight the classism and sexism of old stories in this style. Aristocratic landowners literally have the right to eat sick children, and eating other dragons literally increases their strength and power. How the rich get richer, so to speak. </p><p>Meanwhile, female dragons can be forced into a state where they are "compromised" and must marry just by getting too close to a male dragon. Biological control rather than social, but it definitely put me in mind of the stereotype of the "fallen woman."</p><p>This is a happy story in the end, though, as the most worthy characters come out on top...admittedly, mostly through luck. </p><p>There is some interesting background world-building. It's implied at one point that humans (who, it is confirmed very late in the book, live in another part of the world and were once at war with dragons) may have brought their religion and trappings of civilization to dragons. This led them into becoming what they are (and continues to push them toward further "civilized" behavior), but it happened long ago and most people think it's a myth or a heresy to think that their worldview (and particularly their gods) came from anything but a purely draconic source. </p><p>Interesting stuff, and the book tripped along and was fun to read, but it wasn't anything greater than that. </p><p><b>3 Stars - A Good Book</b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-13180974201372789812023-02-20T08:00:00.001-08:002023-02-20T08:00:00.182-08:00A Desolation Called Peace (Teixcalaan #2)<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBfd8dj5wvUBm3H81JFFfOp6YpmK0oo2XE_yKVc8BNw3wtJvtuqrAbIXyO9Otk4st3tbAmRMnKBmCqvZlaUVVvArLTIxYEvJRODRE650xicIt1Cg1DjLcsrmEUM1A8E-MWOL5JGS4fk_h-XPnI68pOW9GG4jG5DBGYvImM5baD4v4olw-VBPzUjgvcQ/s1000/A%20Desolation%20Called%20Peace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="647" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBfd8dj5wvUBm3H81JFFfOp6YpmK0oo2XE_yKVc8BNw3wtJvtuqrAbIXyO9Otk4st3tbAmRMnKBmCqvZlaUVVvArLTIxYEvJRODRE650xicIt1Cg1DjLcsrmEUM1A8E-MWOL5JGS4fk_h-XPnI68pOW9GG4jG5DBGYvImM5baD4v4olw-VBPzUjgvcQ/s320/A%20Desolation%20Called%20Peace.jpg" width="207" /></a></i></div><i>A Desolation Called Peace </i>(Teixcalaan #2)<br />Arkady Martine, 2021<p></p><p><i>Hugo Winner - 2022</i></p><p><b>Premise:</b> Sequel to <i><a href="https://bluefairysbookshelf.blogspot.com/2023/01/a-memory-called-empire.html">A Memory Called Empire.</a></i> Mahit tries to go home, but there is no turning back the clock on everything she's seen and done. Meanwhile, Teixcalaan goes to war against an unknown (possibly unknowable) threat.</p><p>I liked this book a lot, but not quite as much as the first one. The first book was almost entirely from Mahit's perspective, while this follows a large number of characters, switching off chapter to chapter. This makes a certain amount of sense given the structure of the climax and the themes around groups and perspective, but I didn't find the story as compelling that way. </p><p>I did like following Three Seagrass and getting both her and Mahit's complex perspectives on their relationship (as friends/co-conspirators/coworkers/lovers/??). The other viewpoint characters were each interesting people, but spitting the focus watered down the emotional impact a bit for me. </p><p>More Teixcalaan characters, however, also gave me more of their perspectives on the nature of their empire, and that was fascinating. </p><p>I also felt the "reveal" of the nature of the alien threat was fairly obvious from the start, and I guess it was supposed to be. But that means that the plot was just "how will the characters finally find out and what will they do then" rather than "what is the nature of the mysterious threat, and how will the characters discover the situation and deal with it." Again, it's well done, just less compelling from my perspective. More creeping dread and dramatic irony (because the readers know and the characters don't) than mystery.</p><p>Those quibbles aside, it's still a great read. I still love the world and the characters. It's still an exciting adventure with complex thoughtful things to say. I just wasn't quite as blown away as I was by the first one.</p><p><b>4 Stars - A Very Good Book</b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-65595603543791325502023-02-06T08:00:00.001-08:002023-02-06T08:00:00.220-08:00Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries)<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9sxiqW8ukL1lYqXanZduzZtG97qz-i05mP3IqbnSdh0-VyGXxDmPzF7yMwKFMc7tJ1j8kt_0TC5bNaiN4DUDP_pmNlJ1-n8C7RjoKNdOBalo-HBASnk-qpvKdJBDFVt1hREb19IS3LZ0RDglFJInrQgH22o-4Yn33wr0Sf0tMZJRZC951MKRP_j5QQ/s800/Network%20Effect%20(The%20Murderbot%20Diaries).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="521" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9sxiqW8ukL1lYqXanZduzZtG97qz-i05mP3IqbnSdh0-VyGXxDmPzF7yMwKFMc7tJ1j8kt_0TC5bNaiN4DUDP_pmNlJ1-n8C7RjoKNdOBalo-HBASnk-qpvKdJBDFVt1hREb19IS3LZ0RDglFJInrQgH22o-4Yn33wr0Sf0tMZJRZC951MKRP_j5QQ/s320/Network%20Effect%20(The%20Murderbot%20Diaries).jpg" width="208" /></a></i></div><i>Network Effect </i>(The Murderbot Diaries) <br />Martha Wells, 2020<p></p><p><i>Hugo winner - 2021</i></p><p><b>Premise: </b>Murderbot's relationships with both humans and AIs are tested in a dangerous new adventure.</p><p>After four exciting and intriguing novellas, the Murderbot series continues with this full-length novel. It really does feel like a suitable continuation, one which takes all the themes of the shorter pieces and creates something bigger that feels like the right next step without feeling forced or overlong. </p><p>It combines all the best of the series so far: touching, subtle, exciting, and laugh-out-loud hilarious. There's more exploration of AI autonomy as well as human moral codes, especially as the people of Preservation who gave Murderbot sanctuary have to deal with people who live in the Corporate Rim. </p><p>It's a great example of how effective it can be to come at topics sort of sideways. Murderbot denies having soft emotions, but we see its reactions and can fill in the blanks. Murderbot also never "bleeds" - its organic parts "leak", which gives us a picture of what's happening while maintaining the distance that the narrating voice has from its own physical body. </p><p>The characters are all great, the action exciting; I just have no complaints here. I'm so glad this series has been enough of a hit to bring us this far, and I'm intrigued to see where it goes next. </p><p><b>5 Stars - An Awesome Book</b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-47083582425912795652023-01-30T08:00:00.001-08:002023-01-30T08:00:00.219-08:00A Memory Called Empire<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpPq8KestDyseX4mHsvU9ZOHUZMNERp8pW6nuoQdDq3O4izvusm5z1L2-D9YbiKoeoxacWYYNAYjNi2Lren0WS4e_2Y_YoauwRE5mm9qiNXBGIpOkSZmcNrhA1rYFa7rUde4Pi8fhTgqguZOYi6KxUdxoSIbrY_bH2MKDMryS9dTw-Ds4HDctHi6cBQ/s2550/A%20Memory%20Called%20Empire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpPq8KestDyseX4mHsvU9ZOHUZMNERp8pW6nuoQdDq3O4izvusm5z1L2-D9YbiKoeoxacWYYNAYjNi2Lren0WS4e_2Y_YoauwRE5mm9qiNXBGIpOkSZmcNrhA1rYFa7rUde4Pi8fhTgqguZOYi6KxUdxoSIbrY_bH2MKDMryS9dTw-Ds4HDctHi6cBQ/s320/A%20Memory%20Called%20Empire.jpg" width="207" /></a></i></div><i>A Memory Called Empire</i><br />Arkady Martine, 2019<p></p><p><i style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #757575; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Hugo winner - 2020</i></p><p><b>Premise: </b>The new ambassador from Lsel Station steps off of her transport and into more intrigue and moral conundrums than expected. </p><p>When was the last time I read something this fun, this exciting, this thoughtful, this inventive? It's been a while. This is an absolutely stellar sci-fi, complete with great characters, fascinating setting, and deep thoughts about identity (personal and political); in short, a classically great work of science fiction. </p><p>I loved all the characters. Mahit is smart, relatable, overwhelmed by the situation, insecure at times, and wrestling with the tension between her principles and her practical position. Just a great main character. The mysteries around the previous ambassador and the internal empire politics kept me guessing in the best way.</p><p>A lot of the plot tension in the book concerns internal Texicalaan star empire politics and how they affect both the desire for Mahit's home station to remain independent, and the perceived benefits of said empire. How much of Lsel Station would remain if it were taken over, and what is proximity to the empire already doing to its culture? This is neatly paralleled with the practice on Lsel Station of sharing memories down the generations (with special neuroscience) to maintain skills and knowledge. The Texicalaani see such a practice as practically immoral, and cannot comprehend how the people from Lsel understand their own identities. </p><p>The book is a lot about Mahit being alone in a culture that she loves and that she studied, but it will never be her culture. And then she has to investigate the murder of her predecessor and decide how to react to an imperial coup attempt. I loved the adventure, but I'll also be thinking about it for a while. The best Hugo winners have been like that. </p><p><b>5 Stars - An Awesome Book </b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-59248063794876006082023-01-09T08:00:00.004-08:002023-01-09T08:00:00.239-08:00Into the Riverlands (The Singing Hills Cycle #3)<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzPMy6bIz_Y81pKBbR4X36VFCAgzH2JLlrhF-G5eZJIIzexNOxYX7k6LFg0AhV7N_vcczifKc-AXyy6_fVuMtgzTjT8bbEJAZfR4FiFD_epx2lpEbXKpoCmnkX1i7rGyP6sNlJTF_nvEqOjM3NWpo4O8SlzhElchKf4npkeNKwP65yKGehoFwg2QSvxg/s1760/Into%20the%20Riverlands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1760" data-original-width="1100" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzPMy6bIz_Y81pKBbR4X36VFCAgzH2JLlrhF-G5eZJIIzexNOxYX7k6LFg0AhV7N_vcczifKc-AXyy6_fVuMtgzTjT8bbEJAZfR4FiFD_epx2lpEbXKpoCmnkX1i7rGyP6sNlJTF_nvEqOjM3NWpo4O8SlzhElchKf4npkeNKwP65yKGehoFwg2QSvxg/s320/Into%20the%20Riverlands.jpg" width="200" /></a></i></div><i>Into the Riverlands </i>(The Singing Hills Cycle #3)<br />Nghi Vo, 2022<p></p><p><b>Premise:</b> Cleric Chih and Almost Brilliant travel into the riverlands, where the people tell tales while legends walk the roads. </p><p>I wasn't sure, at first, whether I liked this third novella as much as the first two in this series. I ended up reading it a second time, and while I still don't love it quite as wholeheartedly, it is a great book.</p><p>This one is more about how stories are retold and twisted. The other characters Chih travels with either inspired great tales long ago or will inspire them in the future, but the stories that are told are far from reality and overlap in unexpected ways. At the same time, the stories still have value, both in themselves and in what each says about the teller. There's a lot to investigate and unravel here if you have a mind to.</p><p>There's adventure and horror on the road as well as quiet moments for the characters, each of whom is fascinating. </p><p>The world gets more complicated and more beautiful and more terrible with each story and each little aside. I look eagerly forward to the next work in this series. </p><p><b>4 Stars - A Very Good Book</b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-26870314255853241542022-11-14T08:00:00.003-08:002022-11-14T08:00:00.177-08:00Dragons of Deceit (Dragonlance Destinies: Volume 1)<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQn2FO4qAfLleed7FirXVMhEPzwYHpydPt8_23hLFtQaPMd4OxP0k67XIio1nnLRT2T9KaH2XdSjNOZSJmZpQlQF-0Ce7ShefQWg5ZgR3NPwqdCVa0IR-0VGOg3Ty1ckx9FjGhLhNh6LwHM29yA0bjbM-k7i8e_gh3J4wGxAN6BkrmbcfytUox_X2nQ/s2850/Dragons%20of%20Deceit.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2850" data-original-width="1877" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQn2FO4qAfLleed7FirXVMhEPzwYHpydPt8_23hLFtQaPMd4OxP0k67XIio1nnLRT2T9KaH2XdSjNOZSJmZpQlQF-0Ce7ShefQWg5ZgR3NPwqdCVa0IR-0VGOg3Ty1ckx9FjGhLhNh6LwHM29yA0bjbM-k7i8e_gh3J4wGxAN6BkrmbcfytUox_X2nQ/s320/Dragons%20of%20Deceit.jpg" width="211" /></a></i></div><i>Dragons of Deceit </i>(Dragonlance Destinies: Volume 1)<br />Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, 2022<p></p><p><b>Premise: </b>YEAH BABY, LET'S RELIVE THE '90S!</p><p>Sooooo, of course I read this. (<a href="http://bluefairysworkshop.blogspot.com/search/label/Dragonlance" target="_blank">This </a>is me, <a href="https://bluefairysbookshelf.blogspot.com/2011/01/day-nineteen-best-ensemble-of.html" target="_blank">after all</a>.) And it's bad. It's kind of a bad book. That I found terribly amusing.</p><p>I'll gleefully admit to skimming through much of the first half. Destina (really, that's her name) is a dumb character and I hate her entire deal. I thought about quitting the book entirely, but once I realized what the plot was probably going to involve, I had to keep going. </p><p>Because this might (this is book 1 of a new series, so it ends on a cliffhanger) end up as a rare SECOND in-universe reboot/retcon. Which undoes the need for the first. And that's hilarious.</p><p>You see, back in the day there was Dragonlance and for 10 years lots of books were set in the world written by lots of different people. And then MW/TH broke it. Changed the world to be entirely different/darker/dumber. Sure, whatever, you wrote the first books, you can make it so other people can't play with your toys, or maybe it had to match some change in D&D? I don't remember. And other people wrote books in the new version of the world for a bit, and then 5 years later MW/TH came back and changed everything back, in world. (This is the first in-world retcon.)</p><p>Later still they came back to write some <a href="https://bluefairysbookshelf.blogspot.com/2010/03/dragons-of-hourglass-mage.html" target="_blank">truly terrible books</a> set in the era that the first books were set in. And yes, I've read all of these books. I think. Some I can't remember for sure.</p><p>Anyway, fast forward to 2022 and we have this book. Which includes time travel. And dead characters conveniently not being dead. And breaking all it's own rules. And the implication that they might even UNDO the thing they did that ORIGINALLY broke the setting in 1995. Which.. really? I'm just laughing again thinking about the audacity and ridiculousness of this thing. </p><p>I freaking love Dragonlance, man. This is starting to rival comics for sheer ridonculous twistiness.</p><p>Okay, back to THIS book. The main character is dumb, yes, but it's clear that her whole deal is going to be learning to be less dumb. Also, she's kind of a playful take on what if a stereotypical Mary Sue were dropped into a world that doesn't play by her rules. She's strangely beautiful, she's good at many things, she's determined and goodhearted, and really, really obnoxious about all of those things because she's Solamnic (Dragonlance has a nation of paladins and they're insufferable). </p><p>But her self-imposed quest is selfish and idiotic, and all the other characters recognize that. They call her on her bullshit, point out when she's being an idiot, ignore her stupid ideas, and easily resist her feminine wiles. It's pretty funny.</p><p>Once older characters start showing up, the book is at least enjoyable. It's still like a weird fanfic or a fever dream, and the way logic was bent and reinvented to put all the characters where the authors want them to be had me rolling my eyes constantly.</p><p>But you know what, it's better than I expected. I'll read the next one. </p><p><b>?? Stars - A Ridiculous Book</b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-73591935351169088582022-10-24T08:00:00.001-07:002022-10-24T08:00:00.175-07:00The Book Eaters<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNXImOmVcgr3LzAkakWCwvfMrBlDHG6dRsw6Pn25vn_9VWirBl0xPo0RXGlPFAnp8rpbZWfjVukDUtcs5LXzO2vax8rfxc_gZAFxDc59mfUBKk4dLVOBr6RF6AjhpJj857MHjmoDG1Fp8nJJKVkP14H5au0ralNBjzz_PLrQbTvOCiXIASDA47Z8y3Q/s1672/The%20Book%20Eaters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1672" data-original-width="1100" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNXImOmVcgr3LzAkakWCwvfMrBlDHG6dRsw6Pn25vn_9VWirBl0xPo0RXGlPFAnp8rpbZWfjVukDUtcs5LXzO2vax8rfxc_gZAFxDc59mfUBKk4dLVOBr6RF6AjhpJj857MHjmoDG1Fp8nJJKVkP14H5au0ralNBjzz_PLrQbTvOCiXIASDA47Z8y3Q/s320/The%20Book%20Eaters.jpg" width="211" /></a></i></div><i>The Book Eaters </i><br />Sunyi Dean, 2022<p></p><p><b>Premise: </b>Devon grew up only knowing the secret world of the book eaters, but to protect her son she'll find a way to revolt against her family, no matter who she has to sacrifice.</p><p>This book came strongly recommended, and I enjoyed it, but I definitely didn't love it.</p><p>The book eaters (and mind eaters) made for a unique spin on vampires; Devon's struggles and anguish about her role in the restrictive, sexist book eater world were vividly depicted. The multiple twists were fine, although I didn't buy into most of the red herrings, which meant I only pushed through to get to the next twist without feeling the intended tension.</p><p>I don't know. I liked it fine, but something about the style or the characters didn't completely click for me. It's pretty gross at times, and extremely morally grey. It's about motherhood and monsters, and what you're willing to do for your child. It's very well written, but I just didn't find it emotionally compelling. Should have worked for me, but not quite. </p><p><b>3 Stars - A Good Book</b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-15962036912319968482022-10-17T08:00:00.001-07:002022-10-17T08:00:00.180-07:00Pickets and Dead Men<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqn4_UgfW7fxQrX6RYY35JmDP0gUv0omaauiuI0wLJcUZjP5hCyMgxiEhLz8mAEQlYk9REv1lyf74jti8eVxno2XzAeEblLd73zDF2SeYMgllDbU7dk6VEd1wencc4zkQ3lQjCzGAnt2h05RLIWwDKv3reLejLKKbybs769flsqTBB9UuUnAxZ5VMfw/s600/Pickets%20and%20Dead%20Men.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqn4_UgfW7fxQrX6RYY35JmDP0gUv0omaauiuI0wLJcUZjP5hCyMgxiEhLz8mAEQlYk9REv1lyf74jti8eVxno2XzAeEblLd73zDF2SeYMgllDbU7dk6VEd1wencc4zkQ3lQjCzGAnt2h05RLIWwDKv3reLejLKKbybs769flsqTBB9UuUnAxZ5VMfw/s320/Pickets%20and%20Dead%20Men.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></div><i>Pickets and Dead Men</i><br />Bree Lowen, 2009<p></p><p><b>Premise: </b>A memoir of being a climbing ranger on Mount Rainier.</p><p>This was a prominent recommendation in a comment thread about books about mountaineering and women, and I definitely see why. It's a series of funny, frightening, visceral vignettes. As you read, you definitely understand why it was a life-altering experience, even if the author performed this job for just three summers. </p><p>Be warned, it is a little gross at times, and the author also chooses to highlight some moments of callous or posturing behavior that she felt at the time was necessary to hold her own in a testosterone-heavy field. The balance between action and personal reflection felt authentic for the job and the setting. </p><p>The job includes exciting rescues, but also body retrieval, assisting the wounded and lost, and the daily effort not to become one of the wounded or lost on the mountain. I have no aspirations to summit Rainier (although props to friends who've done it!), but if I did, I imagine reading this book would be a good step to reality-check any expectations. I mean, it even starts with a seriously scary misadventure that nearly resulted in serious injury or worse for the author and several others, experienced climbers all. </p><p>Overall, enjoyable and doesn't overstay its welcome. </p><p><b>4 Stars - A Very Good Book </b></p>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6607193039280948594.post-81965958120897050942022-10-10T08:00:00.001-07:002022-10-10T08:00:00.194-07:00The Obelisk Gate (The Broken Earth, Book 2)<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDXqnfzU8F6H4jlKKZJpTncBlUtBx_pCxbDOw6XBnlGcHdsfiLR_0DNXC6M0wk73F1VJICAAkd1rcxYlEWdxRBoZd8oA0muHztaAEgXlMFsyCJA9E9RTZNlxiWq2jGBEogX6OHxQgfJeTn3SANcejZ1u3W_D-_neb6bDgzaWQdM0XQRl_68g0KWPkuw/s387/The%20Obelisk%20Gate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="258" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDXqnfzU8F6H4jlKKZJpTncBlUtBx_pCxbDOw6XBnlGcHdsfiLR_0DNXC6M0wk73F1VJICAAkd1rcxYlEWdxRBoZd8oA0muHztaAEgXlMFsyCJA9E9RTZNlxiWq2jGBEogX6OHxQgfJeTn3SANcejZ1u3W_D-_neb6bDgzaWQdM0XQRl_68g0KWPkuw/s320/The%20Obelisk%20Gate.jpg" width="213" /></a></i></div><i>The Obelisk Gate</i><br />N.K. Jemisin, 2016<p></p><p><i>Hugo winner - 2017</i></p><p><b>Premise: </b>sequel to <a href="https://bluefairysbookshelf.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-fifth-season-broken-earth-book-1.html"><i>The Fifth Season</i></a>. Essun tries to figure out her next steps and we find out what happened to her daughter Nassun.</p><p>It's been a while since I read the first book in this series, so there was a period of adjustment while I remembered the characters and the world. I think this is a worthy successor, but not as undeniably brilliant as the first book was.</p><p>There are more shenanigans around narration (who is the voice of the text and why) in this book, which I found interesting, but not as interesting or emotionally compelling as the core narrative conceit in the first book. </p><p>It's probably important to note that I also read the first book while I was pregnant but not yet a parent. The violent deaths of both of Essun's young sons are revisited in this book, and I found myself keeping more emotional distance from the characters for my own mental health.</p><p>This was a good read, but it does have a few flaws common to middle books - a bunch of new ideas were introduced but not (in my opinion) fully paid off and a lot of the action felt like the setup that moves characters to the emotional and physical places they need to be for the (presumable) climax in book three.</p><p>Again, still very good, just not amazing.</p><p><b>4 Stars - A Very Good Book</b></p><div><br /></div>Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10372317376002783405noreply@blogger.com0